India's unexpected 0-2 series loss to South Africa in the just finished red-ball series has plunged the side into crisis.
In the final match, the visiting team inflicted upon India a record loss in Test cricket, contrary to predictions. It was South Africa's first series win in India in a quarter-century and India's second home series loss in just 12 months after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory built over the previous half-year has largely dissipated and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with head coach Gautam Gambhir - are under scrutiny.
Initial Hope Vanishes
The new-look squad's strong showing in England this summer, under a different skipper, indicated a seamless changeover post the near-simultaneous departures of veterans R Ashwin, Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over West Indies at the beginning of the home campaign enhanced that perception, before the South Africans came and inflicted a crushing loss.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill suffered an injury quickly in the first Test and did not participate again in the contest. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the squad of the well below standard showing in each match against the opposition.
A number of star cricketers suffered, and multiple individuals hoping for extended tenures in Tests were shown as still inadequate - in skill or mindset - for the format.
A Troubling Pattern
This represented the second clean sweep on home soil suffered by India in just a year. In 2024, unfancied New Zealand had achieved a surprising 3-0 win which practically cost India a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.
The latest loss to the Proteas could damage the team's chances of qualifying for the final of this season also.
Previously ranked third in the WTC rankings ahead of the matches, the side have fallen to number five. Though nine additional matches are remaining, half of these are against Australia. Ordinarily, playing at home would be a significant benefit - even when facing the strong Australian side. But the debacles against New Zealand and the Proteas provide no basis for such assurance.
Causes of the Fall
India's vulnerability in the longer format has been clearly revealed. That said, why India have fared so badly in Test matches at home in recent times is still bewildering.
From the year 2000 onwards, the Indian cricket team were considered impregnable in red-ball cricket at home. Under sweltering weather and on pitches that helped spin and suited their batsmen and bowlers, the hosts dominated all comers. A rare failure, like in 2012-13 against the English, was viewed as an aberration.
Now, the team appear to be easy pickings on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and South Africa currently, the home side were hoisted by their own petard. The surfaces they prepared to help their style failed miserably, as rivals used them more effectively, surpassing the Indian batters and bowlers when it mattered most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that the Indian team is failing in home conditions because local wickets have been altered from turners to pace-friendly pitches to prepare players to do well overseas.
Others highlight that the Indian Premier League (IPL), in which several international stars take part, has taken away the surprise and difficulty home wickets would challenge them with before.
Although there is some truth in these views, it does not clarify why the team's showings at home have witnessed such a staggering decline.
Various Shortcomings
The majority of ex-cricketers identify a multi-faceted challenge, not only a few causes.
Analysts and squad members have identified several failings following India's embarrassing defeat to the Proteas: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, flawed selections, overconfidence, regular alterations of the starting eleven, and emphasizing white-ball over the longer format.
This was evident in the performances of the squad.
Cricketers such as Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal, of whom great things were anticipated, paid for their lack of application, while Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Dhruv Jurel - who were aiming to establish their position in the squad - fell short in skill and mindset, paying a heavy price for their lackadaisical method.
Just a few - Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep, Siraj and Sundar - fulfilled their skill and fame - but not sufficiently to win matches.
Leadership Under Fire
The analysis didn't spare the entire setup - team selectors and backroom team were also questioned, fuelled by disappointed supporters and vocal past stars. At the centre of the examination was mentor Gambhir.
At his post-series press